Blade Cleaning

J

JimF

Joined
Jan 22, 2002
Messages
28
Hi Uncle Bill & All Forumites:

New user. My AK15 has gathered some stains on the blade from normal use.

Can anyone suggest the proper method of bringing the shine back?

Thanks,

JimF
 
I'll let the experts handle this one. Stains on my users don't bother me as long as the rust stays away.
 
welcome aboard, Jim F! Try a product such as Maas, Simichrome, or Flitz. They all polish well and leave a protective film. Simichrome was my favorite until I stumbled upon the Maas at work. Awesome stuff it is! adios, stevo
 
Hi Jim, Welcome to the Cantina!! To get stains off I use a fabric or cotton wheel on a grinder motor. That makes it like a mirror. If you are going to use it more don't bother to buff it because you will just mar the finnish again. I use Brasso to clean and shine the whole knife, it works great but does not get the whole stain off. On using khuks don't worry about it but if you retire a khuk you can buff it with the cotton wheel! Enjoy!:)
 
Tree, plant and vegetable sap will stain high carbon steel - no way to stop it. Jeweler's rouge, on a rag or buffing wheel, will restore the shine, but takes away metal in doing so. If you stain a Khuk intended for show, buffing is the solution. A khuk intended for "go" can be given a patina by rubbing with a slice of citrus, after it has been cleaned with alchohol. When done evenly, the patina looks good (IMO) and helps protect against further stains to some extent. A blade coated with one of the new synthetic lubes (spray-on, PTFE concoctions) is resistant to stain (depending on how hard it is used between coats) but a hard day in the woods will wear off most anything. Show blades wear finery - working blades wear overalls. Keep the rust off, enjoy the blade and don't sweat the small stuff.
 
Before I start dipping my khuk in this glass or orange juice, what's it going to look like when it's done? Will it be the matted grey look like a village model?
 
The acid in the citrus etches the surface of the metal. Orange juice will work, grapefruit juice is faster (more acidic) lemon and lime are more in the middle. The surface texture will be whatever you have put there (high polish, matte finish with fine sandpaper, etc.) The acid will grey the steel, but not greatly effect the surface texture. This is a mild form of controlled oxidation. Bluing the steel is the extreme, using selenic acid rather than milder citric acid. I'm not sure, but this may also bring out the hamon or heat treating lines. This is Federico's territory, and he is THE expert.
 
just as with the cold blue process, the acid must be neutralized when you have achieved the desired color. I use a tablespoon of baking soda in a 5-6 oz. glass of warm water - wipe the blade down with this on a soft cloth, dry thoroughly, and oil with 3-in-One oil. If you want to use another blade protectant, the 3-in-One will wipe off easily, but petroleum based oils are best for stopping the acid reaction when the process is completed.
 
Hmm Ill add a few things on etching. Firstly any scratches in the finish will pop out once etched, so the blade for the best etch should be in a final state of polish, also the acid bites better on a smoother polished finish. Secondly grease can really mess up an etch, so degrease the blade before etching. One way to do this is to use isopropyl alcohol, another older way is to make a mixutre of ash and water (traditionally its supposed to be ash from burnt cow dung but since I dont own any cows ;)Ive been using cigarrette ash). The blade etches faster and more evenly if it is warm. I normally keep my etchant warm as well (doesnt need to be boiling just warm), and then heat the blade a little with a blow-drier. If it was the summer Id leave it out in the hot sun for a while. Vinegar, lemons, orange juice, pineapple juice, coca-cola, etc... will all work in etching. Its kinda scary how well they work. I normally use diluted ferric chloride myself (PC board etchant) as its a little faster and deeper. After Im done etching I sometimes take some of the excess oxides of just for aesthetic appeal, but thats someting of personal taste. I myself am unsure at how much protection though and etch gives a blade. Ive noticed freshly etched blades are more prone to rust, but after the etch stabilizes over a few months then its fine.
Of note a few things that will pop out in etches is the construction of a blade, whether its damascene, or zone hardened should pop up differently. Pretty neat stuff, on a spear that Im etching for a friend I found out that the edges were hardened with a soft center of nickel star pattern-weld, and a copper bearing shaft.
 
Thanks for the extra info. I may try it this weekend :) Does it matter how much acidic stuff one wipes on? A little dab will do ya, or the more the merrier?

Is pork citrus? :D
 
Depending on the acid it really doesnt take that much. Just coat the blade compeletely and evenly, where the acid isnt is where the etch wont occur. I normally just brush the stuff on, and keep brushing more on to keep the blade coated. The brushing actually helps agitate the acid and make it hit all the tiny corners. A friend of mine likes to make designs with the etchant, and thats fine for what he's doing, but since I mostly etch antique blades its not somethin that I can really do with a clear conscience.

Lemon juice is pretty fast etch and tends to be bright, vinegar is slower and darker, ferric chloride is real fast and a nice darker etch. Id say 5 min for ferric chloride, 10-15 for lemon juice, and around half-an hour for vinegar. Anyways experiment, different acids react to different metals differently. What might look nice in lemon juice may on another blade look bad.

Realistically though its all in the eye in the beholder. The minute your happy with it neutralize, and clean. You can also remove oxides, and etch again for a deeper etch. I prefer doing that over leaving the blade in the etchant for long periods. Over etching can burn off a sharp edge, so thats another reason why I dont like long soaks. As for pork I believe that would be a very slow etch ;) Anyways theres a whole list of things you can do, but the best teacher is to try. You can always polish it back if you dont like the look.
 
... I thought this was just a simple little question ...
Click to expand...
JimF - Yes! It was just a simple little question ... but ... last week it took me 2 days to clean all sort of rust from all my Khukuri collection which are about 25 pieces.

Down here in Malaysia rusting is a common problem due to our high humidity factor!

My youngest son adviced me to check & clean only 2 pieces of khukuris for a one weekend regularly so that I don't have to clean so many Khukuris at one go ... which I agree ... afterall wife & kids also needs attention during weekend!
 
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